1. Field of the Invention
The invention finds utility wherever articles are bundled together to make such articles easier to handle, use, ship or the like. In particular, the invention is useful in the bundling of individual conductors into cables of such conductors in order that harnesses of such conductors can be remotely fabricated and then moved to the installation site as is frequently done in the construction of aircraft and ships.
2. Description of the Prior Art
According to prior art techniques, the most common bundling straps have an apertured head at one end through which the tail end portion of the strap is passed along with a portion of the strap body until the desired tension is reached in the strap and bundle. Locking of the strap generally occurs by twisting the strap end beyond the head or by engaging a locking pawl with teeth in the strap body or the strap body directly. The result of either locking technique is to produce a projecting head which may be injurious to persons handling the bundles or the insulation of adjacent cables or equipment.
In an effort to diminish the potential problems caused by the projecting head of prior art straps, ultrasonic welding was resorted to. Such ultrasonic welding techniques requires an anvil to back up and support the articles to be welded and accordingly the anvil landed up inside the strap loop making it difficult to remove if high strap and bundle tension was required, and, more importantly, since it formed part of the bundle, its removal decreased the bundle tension. Attempts to omit the anvil result in the destruction of the insulation of conductors adjacent the ultrasonic weld.